Leila Marques seeks election as Vice President of the Global Paralympic Committee
Leila Marques, a renowned medical doctor, former Paralympic swimmer, and the current vice-president of the Portuguese Paralympic Committee (CPP), has thrown her hat in the ring for the position of first vice-president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the 2025 IPC Governing Board elections.
Marques, who has competed as a swimmer at four Paralympic Games (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008), has been actively involved in Paralympic sports administration in Portugal. Her candidacy for the IPC vice-presidency is seen as a significant challenge, and she acknowledges the honor of being nominated by the Portuguese Paralympic Committee.
The CPP, under Marques and her colleagues, views this as an ideal time to position themselves in a form of international leadership. Marques aims to contribute to the global growth of the Paralympic movement through this role. In the election, she competes with candidates including Canadian Chelsey Gotell and Chinese Ming-Chu Um, both recognized contributors to the Paralympic movement.
The IPC Governing Board election will take place on 27 September 2025 at the IPC General Assembly in Seoul, Republic of Korea, with 30 candidates standing for 10 elected board positions, including two vice-presidencies under the reformed IPC Constitution effective since June 2024.
If not elected as the first vice-president, Marques will run for one of the seats of councillor to be elected on the same day as the IPC elections. The elections for the first and second vice-presidencies are independent of each other and the choice for the presidency of the IPC.
Marques believes that beyond its high-performance aspect, the IPC's fundamental role is to help create more inclusive and comprehensive societies through sport. She emphasizes the need to support nations with limited resources to create a more inclusive paralympic movement.
The CPP is proud to present Marques' name for the first vice-presidency of the IPC. If elected, Marques' objective is to contribute to the international growth of the paralympic movement in the future. The IPC General Assembly and elections, including for the first vice-presidency, are scheduled for September 27 in Seoul, South Korea.
What if Leila Marques, known for her accomplishments in Paralympic sports, finance, and leadership within the medical field, decided to focus her business acumen on the global growth of sports, specifically the Paralympic movement? With her passion for making sports more inclusive and comprehensive, she could lead nations with limited resources and bring about a significant change in the sports landscape.
